The blog of Marine Conservation Institute

Yearly Archives: 2011

77 What does that number mean to you? Right now, it’s the big bad number for the environment. Did you know that, in addition to working on raising the debt ceiling, Congress is also working on next fiscal year’s budget? The House of Representatives is debating and voting on appropriations bills, and here’s where the … Continue reading House Appropriations Bill Weighed Down by Amendments→

As the US government struggles to develop a viable budget that does not send the country into a recession, we at Marine Conservation Institute believe that drastically cutting funds for vital ocean and coastal conservation programs is NOT an answer to our nation’s financial woes. By conserving our ocean ecosystems, we are investing also in … Continue reading Fiscal Responsibility through Conservation→

We know how frustrating it can be watching Congress fail to get anything done. But some things are moving! Stuff is happening on Capitol Hill! Yesterday, the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, held a hearing regarding operations and efficiencies for the US Coast Guard (USCG). While this may not seem applicable to … Continue reading Members of Congress Discuss Marine Debris!→

While climate change effects our planet in many ways, melting icecaps may be our most serious problem. As global temperatures heat up, ice begins to melt into the ocean, causing rising sea levels and habitat loss for many species. Furthermore, because ice is highly reflective and capable of reducing the effects of incoming solar radiation, … Continue reading Arctic Melting: More than Just Rising Sea Levels?→

It’s about time. Took long enough anyway, but Rhode Island finally did it. It’s fitting that the Ocean State was the first one do it. The state really does have a lot of water considering how small of a state they are. As a former Rhode Island resident myself, I’m awfully proud of them, and … Continue reading Finally, Ocean Zoning Comes to the United States→

The following are all news stories from this week which relate to Marine Conservation Institute’s conservation efforts. A lot of stuff is going on! What do you think about it? Study: Changes to ocean expected to damage shellfish around world CNN: Massive global greenhouse gas pollution is changing the chemistry of the world’s oceans so … Continue reading Marine Conservation News!→

Good morning! I thought I would talk today about no-take zones, in light of an article published by Sign On San Diego. Although covering only a small area of our oceans, no-take zones are thought to be vital to the recovery of biodiversity in areas that have experienced over-fishing and other harmful extraction practices. However, … Continue reading Understanding the Impact of "No-Take" Zones→

Last week the House Committee on Appropriations met to mark-up and vote on Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce. By the end of the week, major cuts had to be made, and these cuts greatly impact our oceans. We need to speak up and ask for … Continue reading Oceans Caught in the Undertow of the Wave of Debt→

I thought I would share a great NY Times editorial with all of you today. It’s increasingly clear that we are causing irreparable harm to our marine ecosystems, but what’s not clear is what we, as citizens of this earth, are going to do about it. I encourage you to take a few minutes to … Continue reading A Look Into the Ocean’s Future→

Look what I came across today, It may be from way back when, but so much of it still rings true today and I thought I would share it with all of you. It’s quite a nice story if I may say so myself: The Undersea World of Elliott Norse Originally published in Eastsideweek, October … Continue reading The Undersea World of Elliott Norse→